"When I was little, we prepared for storms, hearing the sirens and then going to the basement. And going through this experience, I felt like a little kid, young and scared," Sykes said.

A tornado churned across the southern part of the city, home to a number of aircraft-related manufacturers. The tornado struck Boeing and Sprit AeroSystems, officials said.

A few hundred employees were working at a Spirit Aero Systems plant, producing fuselages and other equipment for Boeing aircraft, said company spokesman Ken Evans, when a twister came through and caused the roof to collapse. No one was injured, and workers have been told not to come in until Wednesday as the damage is assessed.